Day 1: WELCOME TO CUSCO
Meet and greet service on arrival at Cusco Airport is followed by transfer to your hotel. Rest of the day is free at leisure to get to know the city.
CITY TOUR CUSCO – SACSAYHUAMAN AND ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES In the afternoon at 13:00, enjoy a guided tour of this charming city, which was the capital of the Inca Empire. The tour starts with a visit to Santo Domingo Convent, a large Renaissance-baroque complex, which was built over the Inca Qoricancha temple. It was one of the most important temples dedicated to the worship of the sun and its foundations are still prominent at the base of the convent. Ancient chronicles say the temple was covered in gold leaf and filled with golden representations of nature. Continue to the Plaza de Armas to visit the cathedral. It features an elaborate Renaissance façade and, like other important monuments in the city, was built over a demolished Inca temple.
Head to the hills above Cusco to visit the remains of the fortress of Sacsayhuaman, whose imposing ramparts offer a stunning panoramic view of Cusco, the ruins of temple and amphitheater of Qenqo, where it is believed the Incas practiced agricultural rituals. Finally, visit Puka Pukara (‘Red fortress’ in Quechua) an Inca military complex located on a prominent hill. Its dwellings squares, bathrooms, aqueducts, walls and towers can still be appreciated. Return to Cusco. Night in Cusco
Day 2: SACRED VALLEY – PISAC – URUBAMBA – OLLANTAYTAMBO
At 07:30am we’ll begin our tour to Sacred Valley of the Incas. We’ll make a stop on route to enjoy an impressive view of the Vilcanota River snaking around the patchwork fields of family crops. Upon arrival at the colorful Pisac town you’ll have free time to interact with locals and artisans and option to purchase souvenirs, then we´ll head to Pisac archaeological complex an impressive building built in the boom period of the Inca Empire. Here we can see the great work achieved by the Incas.
Afterwards we´ll go to Urubamba town, driving along the Vilcanota River, where we´ll stop for a buffet lunch (optional) at local restaurant. Approximately 1 hour after the next stop will be Ollantaytambo which is considered a “living Inca town”. With intact buildings and agricultural terraces. After the amazing time in the sacred valley your departing train is at 19:00 you will need to head to the train station and catch your train to Aguas Calientes, The train trip to Aguas Calientes is just under two hours. Our representatives will meet you just outside the train station, upon arrival and lead you to your hotel. Night in Aguas Calientes
Day 3: MACHU PICCHU
After breakfast at Hotel, it is time to board a coach for a 25-minute ride to Machu Picchu itself. The ‘Lost City of the Incas’ had lain abandoned in the heavens for four centuries until American explorer Hiram Bingham happened upon it in 1911. Machu Picchu is believed to have been built in the 1450s by Inca emperor Pachacutec as a holiday retreat yet within a century the city would be abandoned following the Spanish conquest. The Spaniards never found it so it was spared the destruction they wrought on other Inca sites. Instead, it was slowly swallowed up by the jungle and hidden from harm.
A guided tour explains the origins behind this awe-inspiring citadel and the most prominent landmarks among the 200 or so buildings such as the monumental Main Square, the Royal Quarters, the Temple of the Three Windows, the Circular Towers, the Sacred Sun Dial and the Burial Grounds. At the appropriate hour, we’ll descend by bus back to the town of Aguas Calientes, where you will have free time for lunch included. Return to Cusco by train and van in the afternoon 16:22 or 18:20 (the train schedule will depend on how far in advance you are booking and/or the availability of the train.) Night in Cusco
Day 4: MARAS MORAY AND SALT MINES
Our tour begins with pick up from your hotel at 8:20am in our tourist class transport where we’ll make our first stop at Moray which is built farming terraces with their irrigation canals, is a prototype of greenhouse, the hole has depth greater than 150 m and average height is 1.80 meters platforms between one and another. Then we head to Maras town, on the way we will cross by popular and very typical places, also we could see beautiful scenery that we enjoy in our journey we´ll visit natural salt mines 2000 small wells, which are filled with salt water coming from natural source of water located in the same place, this salt mine and were exploited from the Inca and these were used as a means of economic exchange, today even these salt mines are still exploited by local people, for consumption in the region. Night in Cusco
Day 5: HUMANTAY LAKE
Our tour begins at 04:30 in the morning, boarding a touristic bus that will take us to the village of Mollepata, in a 2 hours journey approximately, passing through colourful and beautiful places such as Poroy and Limatambo. We will have breakfast in the village of Mollepata (2900 m.a.s.l.) then we’ll board the bus towards the village of Soraypampa (3900 m.a.s.l.), from this place we will start ascent for about 1 hour towards the beautiful Humantay Lake (4200 m.a.s.l.). T
his location is a great place for taking pictures; enjoy the surroundings and the landscape reflected throught the clear waters of the lake. After this visiting and explore time of the place and then of Humantay Mountain (5450 m.a.s.l.) located in the mountain chain of Vilcabamba, next to our guide who will tell us about the history and importance of this magnificent place, we will start or return trek to Soraypampa, where we’ll take the route of Salkantay (6271 m.a.s.l.) and enjoy the view of this sacred mountain, the second highest mountain in the region. After this we’ll have lunch and later on return to our bus towards the city of Cusco, arriving at around 17:00 hrs. Night in Cusco
DaY 6: RAINBOW MOUNTAIN
We will pick you up early from your Cusco hotel at 03:30 am, we drive to the trailhead at Cusipata (4326 m.a.s.l) the closest community to Vinincunca is about 2 hours long. Once we reach it we have time for breakfast in a shelter and brief information before the challenging hike. By 07:20 we start off on our hike throught the mountains to our destination the rainbow hill, during the hike local fauna alpacas, llamas and natural scenary surprised us with stunning views, Ausangate capped mountain. After 3 hours hiking finally is time for pictures in the top of Rainbow Mountain, time to explore around the area. 5020 m.a.s.l Back on the trail 2 hrs more descending to arrive to the local community. By lunch 12:00 stop in the restaurant, deserved rest before to embark the bus, transportation will take us back in Cusco by 16:30 Night in Cusco
Day 7: SUN ROAD
07:00am we’ll head to the station to begin our special bus journey to the Imperial City of Cusco. Along the way we’ll enjoy marvelous landscapes and guided visits. We’ll stop at La Raya, the natural limit between Cusco and Puno, from where we will have excellent views for photographs. We’ll visit the ruins of Raqchi, known as the Temple of Lord Wiracocha, and the town of Andahuaylillas, where we’ll visit the town’s precious XVII century church, with its impressive organ decorated with angels and cherubim. We’ll have lunch en route, and will arrive in Puno in the afternoon. Night in Puno.
Day 8: FLOATING ISLANDS UROS – AMANTANI
Around 7:30 am the transfer will leave your hotel for the highest lake in the world, Titicaca. There will be two stops: The first will be on the Floating Islands of Uros, also called “El Pueblo del Lago”. These islands and their rafts are built with a reed layer called Totora, which are also used in homes, as a raw material for crafts and even as food and for medical use!
The second stop will be on the island of Amantani, where the community kindly welcomes tourists, keeping their traditions, customs and regional dress alive. The natives are skilled craftsmen and incorporate in their work, all the techniques developed over the centuries by their ancestors. At the end of the afternoon, we will welcome all the local families. Night on Amantani Island.
Day 9: AMANTANI – TAQUILE ISLAND – PUNO
Upon waking up early in the morning after breakfast, we go down to the port of Amantani (8am) to take our boat towards the island of Taquile, where we will have a trail to the top of the island and visit the places around. Have lunch on this island and then return to the port to return to Puno at 16:00. We will have time for dinner and take the bus back to Cusco.
